I believe in training, in all its forms. I love the 6 P’s passed down to me by my great grandfather before he died, I was probably 6 or 7 years old then but its always stuck with me for its pragmatism,
“Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance” – Norman Bierschenk
A justification for training couldn’t get any more simple and down to root of it all than this, could it?
My intention here is to discuss primarily physical training in this blog post but I can already see and feel myself being pulled towards more lofty realms of “training philosophy” so we shall see where we go and where we end up.
When I was 12 years old, my grandparents gave me a gift that would completely change my life, I doubt they had any idea how impactful this gift would be or how it would be a gift that would find its expression in my life for the next 14 years and likely for the rest of my life. It was Christmas morning and I was transfixed on the 10 ft tall rectangular box with my name on it, God only knew what it was, but we all know this funny little trick with presents, the younger you are, the bigger you want the box to be and the older you get, the smaller you want the box to be… Maybe that’s just me? Regardless, this was a big ass box and I was stoked! It ended up being a “BoFlex” home gym. A 10 ft tall training tool that had a roman chair with a dip bar, a pull up bar and 2 pulley systems with varying degrees of resistance. This tool fit in my room at the time, and from the first day I became obsessed.
The reasons why I became obsessed are difficult to pinpoint and probably irrelevant to our greater story but if I had to guess I think physical training feels like such a simple way to spend time in a justifiable manner, no matter what mood I was in, a couple pull ups always felt like a good idea. I trained purely calisthenics for the next 2 years, I had just started playing sports, primarily football and wrestling, I ended up being very very good at football and felt like my physical training gave me a serious edge over the other players who hadn’t begun working out as seriously as I had. I would do push and pull ups all through out the whole afternoon after I’d get home from school. I remember I’d often oscillate between texting my girlfriend and pull-ups, send a text, do 5 pull ups, read the reply, text back, 5 pull ups.
So that’s where it started, but within a couple years I vividly noticed the more overarching reason for my love of physical training, it grounded me. Pushing myself to do more, to push past the point where my mind would tell me I was tired, to show myself the power of my own will. This became the obsession, the requirement for the day… Its so easy to hold ourselves back from things because our mind will create and repeat stories of doubt, guilt, shame or simply, fear. For me, training became the way I showed myself everyday that those stories are fake, they are products from something that doesn’t actually live here, in the real world where things are done and materialized, I realized that my mind couldn’t fully comprehend and appreciate what happens when strong will meets a calm spirit.
This led me to fall in love with training in the mornings, I’d love to get up early and get my workout in and finished by the time most people are waking up to start their day. This is how I felt, and still feel to this day, that I am able to show up the most calm and clear in the world, I need to conquer my mind and tame my will every morning before starting my day to be able to show up as the warrior, lover and jester I enjoy to be in the world.
So now into the specifics,
Is training in the morning the best?
So, I’m no expert on bio chemistry, but I do know that when waking up and until around 1 pm, our body is releasing the most amount of Cortisol and Dopamine, before 9 am especially. This is due to our circadian rhythm, this is something you may or may not of heard of but basically it is the natural bio chemical release system our bodies have evolved and adapted into over our existence that correlates with the rising and setting of the sun, this is not pseudo science as some believe, you can do your own research. Cortisol is often referred to as the stress hormone, exercise spikes cortisol naturally, spiking your cortisol in the evening can affect quality sleep… FYI, sleep is really fucking important. When cortisol is high, we can use this natural stressor to enhance our workouts and to incorporate them as a way to manage and help regulate healthy hormone secretion, cortisol is priming your body for action, “fight or flight” as you may of heard, so use exercise as your proverbial “fight” this will also alleviate the experience of cortisol through stress and anxiety. Dopamine on the other hand is the chemical of motivation, excitement and a willingness to engage, since this is highest in the morning, utilizing this natural boost can elevate the experience, drive and intensity of your workouts.
But, what I would say to anyone who asks, is the best time to train is going to be the time at which is most sustainable and conducive to your lifestyle! The “optimal” training time may be the morning, but a session in the afternoon is absolutely better than no session at all.
Should I train high reps, low reps, cardio, calisthenics, yoga, or isn’t my construction job enough??
When it comes to my training philosophy, all of these questions are given way too much importance! Personally, I’m strong in my core lifts, I can control my body weight well, Im a certified yoga teacher, in the upper tier of conditioning and can keep up a working pace with the best of laborers and I think you should train to be able to do the same. The theories that put one form of training above another are simply bullshit in my opinion. You can be big and flexible, you can be strong and fast, you can have the ability to be dynamic while excelling at specific things. My advice would be to never idolize any form of training over another, now maybe you enjoy one more than another, but to think it is “better” I think would be a mistake. Any form of training done with quality, consistency and intensity will yield benefit to you. Now of course that “benefit” will vary depending on the training you choose. So, my advice would be to broaden your understanding and experience will all the forms of training so that you can imagine, design and execute training plans that incorporate the elements needed to find yourself excelling in all the fields and physical endeavors we find ourselves in.
I’ve gone through so many phases when it comes to how I approach training, and I think you should too, even if you have specific passions that benefit from specific training (biking, climbing, skiing, swimming) I think this because I know with my power, balance and mobility, I can do anything I want and with practice, become good at it very quickly and I attribute this to the physical training I do, back to my great grandfather, My training prepares me for anything and everything so at the end of the day I can perform whatever is asked, needed or wanted with ease, grace, enjoyment and little risk of injury.
A few months ago, for the first time, I purchased a year long training subscription to Judd Lienhard’s “MASS Method” I have been absolutely loving his approach to training and have also really enjoyed just following someone else’s plan for the first time in my life. Until now I’ve always made my own training plans depending on the types of training I happened to be interested in at the time or whatever I felt like I needed. Having a plan has stretched me to learn many movements I would’ve never thought to do and the MASS (Movement, Athleticism, Strength, Speed) method has given me so many new tools and tricks for my personal tool box that I will incorporate into my lifelong journey of training and remaining capable, healthy and ready for life!
Now let’s bring it all together,
Physical training without proper nutrition is foolish, plain and simple. You’re probably not doing it because you want to be the happiest, healthiest version of yourself because nutrition is going to play such a more momentous role in how you feel, perform and look than your training.
Physical training without spiritual training is just downright dangerous, you’re sharpening a sword that has no sheath.
Physical training without any mental training is doing more harm than good, you may look good, stand tall and appear useful but none of that will make anyone anymore interested in you if the price you paid was your own humility.
And to train spiritual and mental endeavors without the same value placed on your physical training is just a pity, I’ll leave you with a quote…
“No citizen has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. What a disgrace it is for one to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which their body is capable.” – (Possibly) Socrates
Stay In Light, Stay In Love
Jay Bierschenk